Strategies for Parents to Deal with a Meltdown

A meltdown is a response to feeling overwhelmed. For some children with autism, it occurs when there is too much sensory information to process. For instance, the bright lights and commotion of a concert might set them off. For others, it can be a response to a change in routine or having too many things to think about, such as a back-to-school shopping trip, and meltdowns typically cannot be controlled.